u/Wurtsmith_2W2

From Periscope Films. I've seen this before but not online. Not sure if this kind of highly detailed procedure is of interest to the group or not?

I've been confused by the existence of the B43 nuclear bomb for some time. Superficially, it seems to be highly duplicative of the size, weight, yield, and applications of the B28, which latter was conceived as a sort of "general purpose" nuclear bomb and produced in larger numbers than any other gravity bomb to date (about 4500). But about 2000 B43s were produced, with nearly identical size, shape, weight, and yields.

I gather the B43 was viewed as more of a "tactical" weapon, often assigned to fighter wings of US and allied countries from the 60s through the 80s. But, different versions of the B28 like the B28EX and RE were also intended for fighter use. I believe the B43 was able to be carried at supersonic speeds, but, again, so were certain versions of the B28, IIRC.

Anyone know the story as to why the B43 was viewed as necessary? It seems the B43 was intended principally for laydown delivery, was it a hedge against failure of the B28FI?

In a post below on the 1980 Damascus, AR Titan II explosion, u/KyleTSenior stated W53 was an all-HEU device. I initially wondered why that would be, but then found a post (https://www.reddit.com/r/nuclearweapons/comments/cxw0z5/why\_do\_some\_implosion\_bombs\_use\_a\_uranium235\_core) explaining the reasoning.

Then another question came to mind - while industrial-scale plutonium pit manufacturing capability was lost with the closure of Rocky Flats in 1988, and there's been only some progress in reconstituting that capability at other facilities in recent years, has Oralloy manufacture (>10 pit/month, say) continued at Y-12, or was that capability allowed to, ahem, decay, as well?

Without going into finger-breaking territory, in weapons originally designed for plutonium pits, could HEU be substituted, or would it entail drastic reduction in yields or just not work?